The First, the Last wins Berlin Europa Cinemas Label

The fourth feature by actor-director Bouli Lanners has been awarded the 2016 Europa Cinemas Label for Best European Film in the Berlinale’s Panorama strand.

A French-Belgian co-production, Creative Europe-funded The First, the Last follows two bounty hunters as they search for a lost phone in the French countryside.

Through the award, Europa Cinemas aims to enhance the promotion, circulation and box-office runs of award-winning European films by assisting with their distribution, providing promotional support and offering a financial incentive for cinemas that are part of the Europa Cinemas network to screen them.

The judges said: “The First, the Last is a quirky arthouse delight, warm-hearted but with darker moments too. The film looks great, has a strong script and impressive performances with characters that really develop.”